Ruminations on Tubas

TonyZ · Post by **TonyZ** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:40 pm

This may have come up already (I KNOW it has,) but it bears revisiting, if even only for my own sanity and pedagogical growth.

A very good high school student of mine recently visited a very prestigious school. He wishes to major in music education. The teacher at this school told him that he would need to have 2 tubas. I immediately thought to myself--two tubas, for undergraduate work--in Mus. Ed.? I was compelled to think of the ramifications. I know that a current philosophy going around is that one should attain an education degree to earn licensure to be able to get a job (which I agree with.) If you can play the tuba, you certainly don't need a performance degree to tell you that. So, you could also go on to grad. school in performance. To this end, I understand the need POSSIBLY for two tubas in undergraduate school, but to be honest, it seems like overkill to me. I won't ask if it's necessary, because since several folks think that it is, and I respect that, but how do you feel about having to own two tubas going into undergraduate school. Please try to avoid the argument, "Because they said so." I CERTAINLY understand the need for two tubas in graduate school!

Thanks for the input!

Tony

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:00 pm

Hey, Tony. I agree completely. Don't mean to step on any toes here, but many of our brass playing heroes don't have a music performance degree, or grad degree in music, (some did/don't even have a degree in music). What's more, I think we rush things too much. IMHO, it would be far more beneficial for an undergrad to spend at least 2-4 years in college mastering the playing of a horn in one key, then move on to others. It just makes it so much easier, and allows for more focus on fundamentals and musicality. But, noone but you have asked me. Probably a good thing . . .

MileMarkerZero · Post by **MileMarkerZero** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:27 am

Well, knowing my financial situation as a HS Sr., the first question out of my mouth would have been "How much assistance is the school going to give me so I can buy 2 horns?"

If the answer is zero, then a position would remain open in the studio and I'd be looking for the best teacher I could find that didn't require that I go into debt up to my eyeballs before I ever sit down in a classroom.

TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:37 am

MileMarkerZero wrote:Well, knowing my financial situation as a HS Sr., the first question out of my mouth would have been "How much assistance is the school going to give me so I can buy 2 horns?"

If the answer is zero, then a position would remain open in the studio and I'd be looking for the best teacher I could find that didn't require that I go into debt up to my eyeballs before I ever sit down in a classroom.

You have described my reaction extremely well. If I had been required to have two tubas when I entered my undergraduate study, I would probably be a construction worker, or something. It was not going to happen.

TonyZ · Post by **TonyZ** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:52 am

untTuba06 wrote:Hey Tony if you can remember back when I was your student... hahahaha!!!!! But I have two tubas and I am a elementary music education major, if your talking about who I think you are it wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe not in your first year but a majority of the guys here at UNT play bass and contrabass by there sophomore year. I think if you plan on being an active performer even in your undergrad years you should get two tubas. But I don't know if it's a great idea to buy two horns going into school mainly because I know so many gifted musicians who love playing music but once they start getting into classes and all the stress of being a music major, they realize a career in music is not for them. So it's a double edged sword, oh and by the way... Tony Z. is one of the most bad *** teachers ever!!!!

Thanks, Cody! Absolutely, I agree that you should be ready for a career playing, and since much of our solo literature is written for the bass tuba, it's probably good to have both. I'm just looking for opinions!

Keep working, and stop by when you are home!

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:23 am

I initially majored in organ performance. So I showed up with my own 50-rank pipe organ.

k001k47 · Post by **k001k47** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:44 am

Greg wrote:All 12 Major, melodic minor, harmonic minor, natural minor scales, plus two more modes of the students choice. All scales should be played in four octaves in 16th notes at a quarter note equals 288bpm.

...while marching with a souzie

TonyZ · Post by **TonyZ** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:59 pm

SplatterTone wrote:I initially majored in organ performance. So I showed up with my own 50-rank pipe organ.

I thought 50 ranks was a minimum for and Ed. degree!

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:34 am

k001k47 wrote:
Greg wrote:All 12 Major, melodic minor, harmonic minor, natural minor scales, plus two more modes of the students choice. All scales should be played in four octaves in 16th notes at a quarter note equals 288bpm.

...while marching with a souzie

I almost did that when I marched at Mizzou in the fall of 1982 and I was the only souzy that could play the break in "Big Noise from Winnetka" up tempo in concert D major on the beat up 20K practice horn I had at the time, when the director was dissatisfied with the section sound and had individual tryouts right then right there in front of God, country, and the rest of the band on the practice field in an effort to get it played cleanly in preparation for that Saturday's half time show. After the section leader flubbed it, the rest of the section performance majors butchered it, and the other non-performance majors wouldn't even attempt it, and the director was about to give up, I asked to play, and he said alright in a resignation way as if nothing left to lose. I nailed it and got a standing ovation from the entire band.